3 boys, a handful of careers, lots and lots of pro bono work

Public Service Announcement: The Library

If you take books or movies out of the library, you have to return them at a certain time. If you return them late, you will have to pay a fine. $.10 per day for books and $1.00 per day for movies.

How you feel about the fine is unimportant to the librarian and to the person behind you in line, with multiple children in tow and a school bus to meet – also to the elderly gentlemen behind her who is holding a large number of books and the three of four people behind him who are sighing loudly.

If you drive to the library after it closes on the day your books are due and put them into the drop off slot, they will be late.

If you see the book on the shelves of the library, that meansa. you returned them late – see aboveb. the library has multiple copies of the same book

It is wise not to swear you have no library books or movies at home. It is possible you are wrong. It’s happened before.

Yes, $1.00 a day, per DVD is a steep fine, you know compared to the book fine. However, everything else here at the library is free. See above regarding your feelings about fines. Also, the signs are posted about the fees and the librarians always mention it.

Librarians are not out to get your money. I promise.

Probably, if the librarians computer says your returned it late, you did. Maybe that’s not the case, but probably not. Talking about it longer, won’t help.

The librarian is being as patient as she can. Telling her it is not “personal” while you are being a nuisance and holding up the waterworks at her job, doesn’t actual make her feel less frustrated.

You owe $1.80.

She is telling you that you can pay next time. You can still check out books today. She is very, very nice.

Also, it is $1.80. I am just about to pay it.

I also am being as patient as I can. I do this by writing this blog post. Also by thanking my stars that I, for once, am not the mother wrangling children in line. I am alone. However, I am losing patience, because I have a rare 2 1/2 hours to myself, and I want to garden, like, now. Also, I have to pee.

Oh, we all understand now. You don’t like to have outstanding debts. That clears it up. The rest of us love library fines. That is why we come here.

You do have the money with you. You need change. It is understandable. Yes, they make change here, because people, in general, pay their fines.

Organize Your Life.

The Woman’s Guide To Frugality.

The titles of the books you have returned. So far, so good, if you consider it a good use of 20 minutes to plague a librarian to death about $1.80 in library fines. Also, if you don’t care about anyone else’s life. Cool.

P.S You can renew books over the phone or on-line. So, um, if you are late (See Above regarding lateness), you can either renew the books and movies or just, you know, pay the fine. See above.

30 minutes of my life gone. And my library has yet to acquire the second season of Weeds, but is $1.80 closer to doing so, I hope!

Disclaimer: I return things late occasionally just like almost everyone else. It’s just that I apologize or pay the fine, because well, I was late (See Above).

*******UPDATE

Dear Reader, the happy ending must be told. Victory is mine. I returned to the library 5 days later & WEEDS Season 2 was in the stacks, waiting for me. It was worth every second of waiting in line and I am super impressed with my public libraries psychic powers (or maybe they read my blog?) Additionally, it consoled me after both Henry and I were smacked with a toy train by a tallish 4-5 year old playing at the train table – smacked hard enough that he still has a mark on his chest & my knee still hurts 2 days later. I love/hate the library.

Also, please comment. I asked for an apology from the caregivers of this boy (mom did not look me in the eye, grandfather swooped him up for his naughtiness and took him home.) Woman across from me looked at me and said, ” Well, you can’t tell people how to parent,” which is true, but this was not about parenting. Both my kid and I got whacked at the PUBLIC library. What would you have done? Does this happen in your community? Do you address it, ignore it? At the time it happened, neither caregiver was in sight -they came running over- give me your stories. I need to know, cause stuff like this happens all the time here & it is making me crazy! I truly don’t know how to handle it & how to explain it to my kids.

So glad I can tell my DH that I’m not the only one!! Love it! He gets annoyed at my fines, life just happens and I forget, plus when you have out about 40 items at any given time…Definitely still saving money over buying the books!

So glad I can tell my DH that I’m not the only one!! Love it! He gets annoyed at my fines, life just happens and I forget, plus when you have out about 40 items at any given time…Definitely still saving money over buying the books!

You were definitely not telling them how to parent. I believe that the library policy (EVERY library’s policy) is that children playing in the library are to be attended. That means that the parent/sitter/other caregiver is actually WATCHING the child. I think that most of us who have small children would be understanding about the Bertie incident, if the parents actually apologized and handled the situation better. Some kids have impulse-control issues and things get thrown (although its happening twice before intervention is a bigger problem) If a parent is actually watching, it can be more often prevented, and if it happens, there certainly ought to be an apology.

You were definitely not telling them how to parent. I believe that the library policy (EVERY library’s policy) is that children playing in the library are to be attended. That means that the parent/sitter/other caregiver is actually WATCHING the child. I think that most of us who have small children would be understanding about the Bertie incident, if the parents actually apologized and handled the situation better. Some kids have impulse-control issues and things get thrown (although its happening twice before intervention is a bigger problem) If a parent is actually watching, it can be more often prevented, and if it happens, there certainly ought to be an apology.

Me thinks that asking for an apology is incredibly important, if not for the train-thrower’s good, than certainly for your own child’s good.My mil is a children’s room librarian, and I often can’t believe the stories she tells. She has had to explain to parents that they can’t drop their child off in the library and then run across the street to the store because it is considered *abandonment*! She also has found teenagers looking at… um… sensual websites in full view of children, and is helpless to do much of anything because it can be considered censorship. Absurd!!! (In reality, when the website thing comes up, she hovers uncomfortably until said teen decides to leave or look at something else for a while.)

Me thinks that asking for an apology is incredibly important, if not for the train-thrower’s good, than certainly for your own child’s good.My mil is a children’s room librarian, and I often can’t believe the stories she tells. She has had to explain to parents that they can’t drop their child off in the library and then run across the street to the store because it is considered *abandonment*! She also has found teenagers looking at… um… sensual websites in full view of children, and is helpless to do much of anything because it can be considered censorship. Absurd!!! (In reality, when the website thing comes up, she hovers uncomfortably until said teen decides to leave or look at something else for a while.)

Love the library fine story. Personally when I pay my fine I always feel extra-good because I’m making a donation to the library. Maybe they’ll buy one of the bazillion books I’ve requested. Or hire another person to check out books so the lines won’t be so long. Right?Mis-guided parenting at the library: no idea how to handle. Just this morning at our story hour, two nannies fed their approx.-18-m.o. charges YOGURT right beneath the posted sign that said “No food in the library.” Under that sign was a hand-written sign that said “NO FOOD!!!” What can you do???

Love the library fine story. Personally when I pay my fine I always feel extra-good because I’m making a donation to the library. Maybe they’ll buy one of the bazillion books I’ve requested. Or hire another person to check out books so the lines won’t be so long. Right?Mis-guided parenting at the library: no idea how to handle. Just this morning at our story hour, two nannies fed their approx.-18-m.o. charges YOGURT right beneath the posted sign that said “No food in the library.” Under that sign was a hand-written sign that said “NO FOOD!!!” What can you do???